How to: A Costs Lawyer

Pursuant to Section 112(1) of the Legal Services Act 2007, it is a requirement that a Costs Lawyer (whether sole practitioner or firm) has effective procedures in place for the resolution of complaints.

A complaint means an oral or written expression of dissatisfaction which alleges that the complainant has suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, distress, inconvenience or other detriment.

Should a complaint subsequently be referred to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) they will look not just at the nature of the complaint, but also the way in which the complaint was initially dealt with by the Costs Lawyer.

A Costs Lawyer should make a decision based on the evidence, impartially and without any discrimination or prejudice.

A complaint must be resolved within 8 weeks of that complaint being made to the Costs Lawyer. In the event a complaint is not resolved in that time period, or the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, the complainant may refer the matter to LeO.